Martha's Vineyard Election Guide 2012

As we look ahead to next week's elections, Martha's Vineyard Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in town.

Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near.

Bookmark this page for updates!

Voting Info

• Polling locations: To find polling locations and precincts, click here.
• Early Voting: You may vote early from October 1 to October 31. You can find full information how to do so here.

Races

State:

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket State Rep. Timothy Madden (D) is running unopposed, Dukes County plus precincts 1,2,5 and 6 in Falmouth.

Cape and Island State Senator Daniel A. Wolf (D) is running unopposed. Barnstable, precincts 1 to 9, inclusive, and 13; Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury in Dukes County.

National:

U.S. Congress, 9th Massachusetts District

The state lost a Congressional seat, after a population shift was revealed by the U.S. Census. The 10th Congressional District will become the new 9th district. Congressman William Keating, who moved from his home in Sharon to Quincy in 2010 to run for the seat vacated by William Delahunt when he retired, has now made his summer home in Bourne his residence, so he can run for office in the new 9th district. He will be running against Republican Christopher Sheldon of Plymouth this November.

U.S. Senate

The race between Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren has already gotten rough. What will this mean for Massachusetts?

U.S. President

With a fight ahead of him, U.S. President Obama decided not to return for a family vacation on Martha's Vineyard this past summer.

However, is opponent former Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney, a Belmont resident did fly over to the Island for a little fundraising this summer. The Town of Belmont was happy when Romney won the Republican primary, but will he be able to carry the mostly Democratic state once again and this time as President?

Ballot Questions

Question 1: The so-called "Right to Repair" question would enact the proposed law requiring motor vehicle manufacturers to allow vehicle owners and independent repair facilities in Massachusetts to have access to the same vehicle diagnostic and repair information made available to the manufacturers’ Massachusetts dealers and authorized repair facilities.

Question 2: Doctor-Assisted Suicide question would enact the proposed law allowing a physician licensed in Massachusetts to prescribe medication, at the request of a terminally-ill patient meeting certain conditions, to end that person’s life.

Question 3: The Use of Medical Marijuana would enact the proposed law eliminating state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-regulated centers or, in specific hardship cases, to grow marijuana for their own use.

Question 4: Shall the state senator from this district be instructed to vote in favor of a resolution calling upon Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. constitution affirming that (1) corporations are not entitled to the constitutional rights of human beings and (2) both Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and political spending?

Question 5: Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of a resolution calling upon Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. constitution affirming that (1) corporations are not entitled to the constitutional rights of human beings and (2) both Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and political spending?